Elegy Chapter Eight: A Treatise on the Kilrathi Language and Kilrathi Lexicon
2674.062 FROM: LT Malik Santos Confederation Fleet Headquarters Jupiter-Sol L5, Jupiter, Sol System, Terra Quadrant, Sol Sector msantos@sol.navyhq TO: CDOR Erik Baudone CO, Valgard Military Prison Nav 8, Valgard System, Sa'Khan Quadrant, Epsilon Sector ebaudone@valgardprison.military Sir: As per your request, I have completed compiling the report you requested regarding operational training of the troops assigned to your command in the use of the Kilrathi language. This report contains the most current material we have available on the topic. Regarding your specific request, both the translation staff here at HQ and our Kilrathi consultants were quite amused and more than a little perplexed when the time came to actually perform the assignment, but it did prove to be a remarkably useful exercise for all involved. We were only able to provide you with the first verse of "The Major-General's Song" due to the methods the translation parties have been utilizing with one another; our people translate the material into Basic English and the Kilrathi take it from there. They have a somewhat annoying tendency to translate everything into their language, including proper names. As you are no doubt aware, many of the words of that particular tune are very Earth-centric, and some of the sounds involved, as it turns out, do not occur in the Kilrathi language. As for the other two Gilbert and Sullivan song translation you requested, the Kilrathi members of the team were very perplexed with the notions involved in "Three Little Maids", but they did have words for them, ones that we may never have gotten translations for otherwise. And they were most impressed with "A British Tar", probably due to the concepts encapsulated by that tune. It was mildly entertaining to watch the furballs attempt to sing it in their own language; the cadence turned out to be similar enough to make the attempt. The Kilrathi have made a request to work on additional Terran songs and we are looking to see if such a request will yield any more appreciable results. Considering the success of "Three Little Maids", this may be how we proceed from here on out. I have attached the requested translations to a separate report, available for your perusal at your convenience. Of course, we have included the information we've gathered over the last 45 years in this report as well, though we have taken the time to thoroughly review and correct some of the older materials in the Confederation's databanks. This has, of necessity, required us to thin out the materials somewhat. Be rest assured that the included documents are the most up to date information the Confederation has in its possession and that its use should enable both you and your troops to communicate your intentions most clearly to your inmates. If you have any further questions or concerns regarding the materials contained in the attached report, please let me know as soon as possible and I will do my utmost to address them. Please bear in mind that, even though we have unprecedented access to Kilrathi cultural materials, there are still a number of matters about them that remain a mystery. Sincerely, LCDR Malik Santos Cultural and Strategic Analyst, Kilrathi Social-Cultural Unit Confederation Fleet Headquarters, Operations Division Enclosure: Introduction The Kilrathi language, known natively as trathkh dai'B'nal or "tongue of Redclaw house", is the "official" language of the Kilrathi Empire. It is one among many dialects of a common language utilized by the Kilrathi people; as might be expected, it is the dialect of the Imperial family and by extension the Imperial nar Kiranka clan. While a member of a different family or clan might be allowed to speak their own dialect amongst their own, in polite society, military affairs and in public they are expected to use the Imperial dialect. Those who are caught using another dialect are considered either stupid or subversive, and if not summarily executed or ordered to commit zu'kara on the spot are usually sentenced to undertake dangerous and/or distasteful tasks. It can only be assumed that the official language of the Empire changes when another clan assumes supreme power; as this has not happened since the defeat of the nar Ki'ra clan several hundred Terran years ago, this cannot be verified. Because it is spoken by the vast majority of Kilrathi even in the post-Imperial period, this treatise will focus solely on trathkh dai'B'nal; as it is, most dialects of the language vary only slightly in terms of vocabulary and in pronunciation of a few sounds. Writing systems, on the other hand, vary wildly amongst the clans, with no fewer than three distinct writing systems known to Terrankind as of this writing. For this reason, this work will rely upon transliteration instead of a direct symbolic translation system. This will also free the reader from the need to learn the intricacies of Kilrathi writing, which are still not well understood by Terran researchers even after nearly a half-century of contact. For a long time, only a few non-Kilrathi were able to learn enough about the language to engage in a meaningful conversation with a Kilrathi in their own tongue, and even then most Kilrathi were more comfortable speaking English than vice-versa. Recently, however, under the auspices of the Confederation Council for Cultural Research, the Confederation Navy's Operational Division's Kilrathi Social-Cultural Unit and the Broken Claw Agency, a study has been undertaken to record and analyze the language and culture of Kilrathi, with the ultimate goal of preparing teaching materials in an effort to better understand our until recently belligerent interstellar neighbors. This treatise represents the initial results of the joint effort. It is divided into three main portions: a grammatical sketch, the lexicon tables, and a series of "practical" Kilrathi phrases. The grammatical sketch is intended to be an outline of Kilrathi grammar, not a complete description. Nevertheless, it should allow the reader to put Kilrathi words together in an acceptable manner. Many of the rules given in the grammatical sketch are those indicated by the Kilrathi members of the translation team as current for trathkh dai'B'nal. It should be remembered that even though the rules may say "always" and "never", in fact they apply only for the vast majority of cases. There are cases (particularly in dealing with older phrases and those inherited from other dialects) for which the rules do not apply as given. What has been indicated should apply in the vast majority of cases. Work to determine when exceptions to the rules occur is currently ongoing. Because research is not yet complete, the lexicon tables are somewhat limited in scope; there are certainly more words in the Kilrathi language than those listed here. Four groups of words in particular are for the most part unrepresented: specific scientific terminology; words for native tools, customs, flora, and fauna; toponomic and onomastic translations; and vocabulary dealing with food. Terms associated with the various sciences are the subject of a special study, and a special report is currently being prepared on the subject. It should be noted that a fair number of mathematical terms are currently understood and have been included in this treatise. Kilrathi words for traditional tools and long-standing customs are difficult to translate into English (most wind up being a literal description of what the item does - for example, vishutha literally translates as "item that cuts the ground" - the closest Terran equivalent would be a rake). Many native plants and animals are likewise difficult to comprehend at the present time, though some have very distinct meanings. While some toponomic terms are fairly straight forward (such as Ghorah Khar = "chasing world of shadow" and Ghorax Tha = "chase lust land"), they have often have a tendency to violate the grammatical rules indicated in this treatise; they are also largely cultural in origin in most instances. There are also many Kilrathi place names (such as K″vr and T'Rel Meh) for which translations are not available. Likewise, many Kilrathi personal and craft names are largely cultural in origin and their exact meaning is not well understood as yet. Food words are missing both due to limited resources as well as cultural limitations on the topic of food: there have been problems recruiting staff interested in studying Kilrathi eating habits, and most Kilrathi food items - primarily meat, as might be expected - are simply referred to as uk in most cases. Plants that Terrans would consider food are often called wir - "plant thing" - by Kilrathi. Until further study has been conducted, it was thought inappropriate to present a list of words whose meanings are not properly understood. What is present is therefore what has been extensively verified as correct. The phrase portion of this work is likewise not comprehensive; work to translate the entirety of the Codices has met with substantial resistance from the remnants of the Cult of Sivar. The few phrases that have been translated were mainly provided by the survivors of the last action of TCS Juneau in the Baka Kar system just under a decade ago. Those did come from Murragh Cakg dai Nokthtak and his fellow survivors from KIS Karga, so they are considered authentic translations. Work on translation of other historical Kilrathi works is ongoing. The few translations that are known to be 100% accurate are included in this work. Finally, a collection of Kilrathi taunts from over thirty years of conflict has been pulled from the Confederation's translation databank and has been reviewed by the translation team; the correct versions are included in this work. As a convention, words in Kilrathi in this treatise will be written in italic-type, while the corresponding English words will be written in normal type. Sounds It is difficult to accurately describe the sounds of the Kilrathi language without using complex anatomical and phonological terms. What follows, therefore, is intended to give only a guide to pronunciation. Very few non-Kilrathi speak the language without at least a hint of an accent and most stumble over minor nuances of the language. For example, most Terrans usually ignore the subtle "h" sound that appears in many Kilrathi words, though its presence or absence often varies the intended meaning of the word: kar = dark khar = shadow kahr = heart A Terran would likely pronounce all three in the exact same manner; a Kilrathi would not. This "palatial lisp", where the mid-section of the tongue comes in contact with the soft palate, is often noted by native Kilrathi speakers when listening to Terrans struggling with their language. Finally, written Kilrathi has traditionally been transliterated into a number of different writing systems based upon who has been doing the translating. For this work, the system developed by Ches M. Penney will be utilized; the editors of this document are of the opinion that RADM Penney's original system of Kilrathi transliteration is best suited for people who already know how to read at least Basic English and will result in a minimum amount of difficulty approximating the sounds of Kilrathi words and sentences. This system incorporates the following set of rules: Consonants Most consonants are pronounced as in English, with a few exceptions: *C will not appear in this dictionary, though the letter "C" has appeared in some transliterations of the language (most notably those of LCDR Forstchen). "S" and "K" will appear in place of "C" as necessary in order to present the appropriate sound for the given situation. "C" will appear as part of "CH", which is always pronounced as in "chew", never as in "Bach". *G is always pronounced hard (as in "gut", never as in "gerbil"). *H is an exceptionally important sound in Kilrathi, pronounced hard but also used occasionally to add a soft "sigh" to many ideas and in the process change their meaning. An "H" appearing in the center of a word that does not ordinarily require it ALWAYS indicates that the idea involved applies to a sapient being - but its absence does not necessarily imply the opposite. H appearing at the end of a word that does not ordinarily require it usually indicates that the idea is being applied to a specific thing, most often a being capable of thought (including non-sapient beings) or a place. *J is always pronounced hard (as in "jet", never as in German "ja"). *Q will be utilized only for overtly hard usages of the "K" sound, approaching "KK" or "KH". *W is a sound that does not occur in Kilrathi; where it appears, it represents "HU" in situations where it is important to keep the idea distinct. *X functions as the -ks sound when appearing anywhere in its idea other than at the beginning; it is pronounced as a "Z" when appearing at the beginning of the idea. An A preceding the X is always pronounced short. X has a special function in the Kilrathi language, that of a "corruptive concept indicator", which will be discussed later in this guide. *Y always represents the consonant sound - it never serves as a vowel. Silent consonants never occur in Kilrathi. In compounded words, repeated consonants are generally (though not always) combined into one; where a double-consonant occurs, extra stress should be placed on the sound. The meaning of the word does not change in that instance, though some additional importance of the word's idea may be indicated by it. So far the only additional rule involving consonants involves combinations of L and J; where an L would naturally be followed by a J, the L sound is removed and the J is doubled. The meaning of neither root word changes in this case. Such combinations occur usually in the case of compounded or modified nouns, as will be discussed below. Vowels The native Kilrathi language contains ten identifiable vowel sounds, represented thus: *A represents either a short "A" sound (as in "bat") or a sound approaching short "O" (as in "caw") depending on what consonant sounds accompany it. *E is short if it is the first sound in its idea and is representative of a long "A" sound anywhere else. For example in mekh (measure of speed), the E appears at the beginning of its idea (ekh = speed), thus the word is properly pronounced like "mech", not "meek". *I, except when proceeded by A, carries a long E sound; when preceded by A, it carries the long I sound (the long E sound has occasionally been transcribed as EE in some sources - notably those of LCDR Keith; here only "I" will be presented). The AI combination is the only vowel combination allowed in the Kilrathi language. It is also the only vowel that experiences metathesis in the language, and that only when followed by Y: aiy = visible / seen (pronounced "YAI") *O may either be pronounced long or short. It is most commonly pronounced long, though it is generally short if it appears at the beginning of its idea. When followed by R, it makes the OR sound as usual. *U is always pronounced long, carrying the OO sound. The short U sound does not occur in Kilrathi. As with consonants, silent vowels do not occur in Kilrathi. In situations where two vowel sounds would be combined other than A and I, it is common practice for the first vowel to be dropped and for the second one to retain its sound. Take mekh as an example: ma = this / sum / measure ekh = speed / fast mekh = ma + ekh = measure of speed A is a weak vowel; it is almost always suborned by other vowels even if it is the trailing vowel (mekh is an example of this phenomenon. If a word or concept that is ordinarily expressed strictly through a prefix or suffix must stand by itself, it is usually combined with an A, which carries no meaning in and off itself in that instance: kna = darkness / void (kn'-'' = "darkness / void) + ''a = (no meaning)) arg = solid / hard / firm (a'' = (no meaning) + ''-'rg = solid / hard / firm) There are situations where A and I are not combined; generally these occur when an important distinction regarding possession occurs. For example: hrai = hra + ''-i'' = family (literally "my people") hri = hra + ''-i'' = people's (i.e. belonging to the people) Once again, "A" is suborned by "I" in the case of hri. "Hu" is usually converted to "w" in situations wherein the "U" would otherwise be combined with another vowel. For example: wul = bed / cot (hu = thing + ul = rest, lit. "rest thing") wuni = circle (hu = thing + uni = one, lit. "one thing") Apostrophes Apostrophes represent glottal stops, a short pause or catch between two ideas; an English example of this phenomenon is the hyphen in "uh-oh". Glottal stops are extremely important in Kilrathi; their presence or absence frequently changes the meaning of a word on their own. For example: maga = to multiply ma'ga = long / tall / high / height / length / distance Newcomers to the language cannot be warned strongly enough - ignoring the use of a glottal stop when it is required may initiate a life-threatening situation, particularly if they are in conversation with a native speaker at the time, and especially if they are already somewhat annoyed. Kilrathi do not respond well to insult, even if it was caused via ignorance. Glottal stops are frequently used to seperate a noun or verb from its modifiers. For example: knav'qith = silver (knav'-'' = bright / shine / white / luminous / luminosity + ''qith = metal) knav'qith'kutthrak = purest silver (knav'qith = silver + kutthrak = ultimate pureness) This generally occurs when there is a need to add a suffix or modifier that starts with a vowel to a noun or verb that ends in with a different vowel, in situations where the two meanings must be distinct in order to clarify the exact meaning. They are also used to seperate subject from verb when both are presented as a single word: Hu'hav vidyukinin = "There is no spoon." (hu = thing + ''-'hav'' = to not be) Argarthrak'jaqahagai = "Supreme executive power comes from a mandate." Finally, there is a full class of Kilrathi words where the glottal stop is actually included as part of the meaning. These are commonly applied to words as prefixes, and may represent the main idea itself. The best known examples are: tr'-'' = battle / struggle ''kr'-'' = attack ''kn'-'' = void / dark / black ''k'-'' = absence / lack of / opposite ''g'-'' = any Colors in particular always include the glottal stop. There are known exceptions to the use of a glottal stop with these words, the main one being a recent invention: ''trav’hra’nigath = surrender ("to give the prize without struggle", more literally "The non-fighting people give") It is suspected a number of Kilrathi words starting with the "K" sound may have originated as k'-''. There is a single Kilrathi word (''K″vr, the seventh planet of the Kilrah star system, translation unknown) that includes an audible click. This click is represented by a double apostrophe. As there are no other words known that include this phenomenon, no further discussion of this topic will take place at this time. Hyphens Hyphens have occasionally been used to help non-native speakers learn the language, most notably in the works of CDR Ohlander, whose system of transliteration has been most frequently utilized to date in writing Kilrathi star system names. This has led to some confusion in the past, most notably in the "proper" spelling of the Korlarh heavy fighter, which has been rendered in the following ways: kor-larh kor'larh korlarh All three versions carry the same general meaning ("curved loyal leader", the "curved" part referring to the ship's shape). For the system being utilized in this document, the bottom version is the most correct; it would also be correct to use CDR Ohlander's transliteration (the top version) in this case, as the hyphen in that system does not add any additional sounds (the main deficiency with the Ohlander method is that the hyphen does not necessarily indicate a consonantal stop). The middle translation is incorrect - there is no glottal stop present in the word. For purposes of this discussion, hyphens will not be used. This may lead to some issues with readability, but as long as the end-user is able to familiarize themselves with the basic ideas of the language, they should prove to be completely unnecessary. Grammatical Sketch In a brief guide such as this, it is not possible to describe Kilrathi grammar succinctly, particularly given the lack of some data on a number of every day concepts; work on deciphering these concepts is ongoing. What follows then may only be considered a sketch or outline of the Kilrathi language as it is understood by Terrankind to date. Although a good many of the fine points are not covered, the sketch will allow the student of Kilrathi to muddle through what a Kilrathi may or may not be saying and respond in an intelligible, though perhaps somewhat brutish, manner. It is likely that only those Kilrathi who have spent their lives in and around the Thrak'hra class will be able to tell the difference (and these will either explain the error or simply kill the offender, depending on their mood). Nouns There are various types of nouns in Kilrathi. Simple nouns are single ideas, such as: ka = blood / spirit hu = thing Complex nouns may be made up of several ideas, much like English. For example: daig = school (a combination of da = hall + ig = to learn) brajakh = fortress / community (br'-'' = defend / protect + ''aj = plan / design + akh = water /drink/ taste) Many common use words in Kilrathi are in fact complex nouns, or began as a complex noun before being absorbed into the mainstream language. Another type of complex noun consists of a verb followed by one of three "to do" suffixes: ''-'il'' = "creature that does" ''-'al'' = "thing that does" ''-'a'' = "being that does" Thus producing words such as: traggil = "creature that struggles with a trap" (tr'-'' = battle/struggle + ''agg = trap/snare + ''-'il'' = creature that does) ratha = "a being that dominates" (rath = question / dominate + ''-'a'' = being that does) fa'orc'al = "thing that marks courage" (fa = courage + orc = stand/place/mark + ''-'al'' = thing that does) Adjectives and other modifiers usually, though not always, are appended as suffixes to the noun they are being used to describe. In a few cases the modifier is applied as a primary prefix (colors in particular are known to be applied as prefixes). Examples of each form include: daik = "library" (dai = house + ik = knowledge/to know) dyalrakh = "honor bearer" (dya = have / carry / bear / hold + ''-al'' = thing that does + rakh = honor) birha = "red blossom" (b'-'' = red + ''ir = plant / blossom + ''-ha'' = to be) dor = "bird" (do = flight / flying + or = animal / creature) Nouns may also be modified by a number of other suffixes, as follows: ''-ga / -gha'' = augmentative/emphatic Ga (all) may be applied to emphasize a noun that is an important concept. If applied twice (i.e. gaga), the concept is as important as it possibly can be. For example: kut = clean / pure / whole kutga = very clean / holy kutgaga = sacred Ga never occurs more than twice with any single concept. In situations where additional augmentation is required, thrak (great / ultimate / noble / final / top) is used instead. The opposite of ga is: ''-in / -ihn'' = diminutive In (small) is applied to indicate a concept that is smaller, less important or less powerful. For example: ni'runai = "My self-satisfaction'' (ni = my + ru = satisfy/satiate + nai = I/me/mine)'' ni'runihn = "My little self-indulgence'' (Ni'runai + ''-ihn'' = diminuative)'' grimalk = "Done certainly" (gri = certain/assured + (ma = this/measure + al = "thing that does") + ''-k'' = past tense marker) grimalkin = "Done less certainly" (grimalk + ''-in'' = diminuative) Like ga, in never occurs more than twice with any single concept. Unlike ga'', however, there is no currently known modifier for an ultimate diminutive. Both ga and in may appear in the same word next to one another, with various parts of the root idea being augmented or diminished depending upon placement. For example: daikutga'inga = "big shrine" (dai = house + kutga = very clean / holy + ''-'in'' = diminutive + ''-'ga'' = augmentative) In this case, ga augments kut (clean / pure / whole), kutga describes dai (forming daikutga = church / temple). In diminishes this concept (to "shrine / reliquary"), and the final ga augments it once more (to "big shrine"). The reader is cautioned to take particular care when having to untangle words and phrases such as this one. Both plural nouns and possessive forms of nouns may have the following suffix: ''-i'' = plural / possessive Unfortunately, there is no way of telling the difference in the usage of this suffix except via the context in which it is used. For example: rakhi = "honors" (more than one honor) rakhi = "honor's" (belong to honor) The same word means two different things; which one is correct will depend on how it is being used: ri'gath rakhiga ranai = "You have given great honors to me" ras ajjrakhi = "For honor's design" Incidentally, the second example above shows another expression of possession typically used in Kilrathi, that of a noun possessing another noun. When such a situation occurs, the two words are listed in the order of possessed-possessor. The -i suffix never occurs in this case and an "of" or "of the" between the two words is implied. For example: ras ajjrakhi = "For the design of honor" (a second, equally valid translation with the same meaning) ko'aSivar = "Sivar's servant" or "servant of Sivar" Nouns used to describe a particular kind of person end with: ''-'hra'' = person / people (of indeterminate number) The addition of the ''-'hra'' suffix may be coupled with any noun or modifier; when this occurs, the resultant word automatically becomes a noun. For example: gukvu'hra = zombie (lit. "living dead person"; guk = dead + vu = "life / survival" + ''-'hra'' = person/people) su'hra = fool (su = contempt / disdain + ''-'hra'' = person/people) sha'hra = enemy (sha = hostile + ''-'hra'' = person/people) thrak'hra = nobleman (lit. "great person") When added to a pronoun, the resultant word has a meaning approximately equal to "self": ni'hra = myself gar'hra = himself / herself / itself ek'hra = ourselves Though this is not always the case: mas'hra = that person mai'hra = these people The ''-'hra'' suffix may be applied to the name of a specific people or to the planet on which they live to describe its inhabitants. This system also generally applies to how the Kilrathi describe alien races when they want to be more specific than ukta and bak. For planets with more than one word to the name, the ''-'hra'' appears at the end of the last word in the name, with glottal stops placed between the words. For example: terran'hra = Terran persons nak'tara'hra = Planet Earth people (this one is technically correct but seldom used) varni'hra = Varni persons (seldom used; most Varni are referred to as wex (slave)). ghorah'khar'hra = Ghorah Khar persons Note that the number of persons is indeterminate; for example, terran'hra may be used to describe one human or multiple humans: Geoffrey Chaucer Terran'hra = Geoffrey Chaucer the Terran Ki'ha rakra Terran'hra!! = "We are under attack by Terran persons!!" Finally, it should be noted that there are some words in the Kilrathi lexicon that utilizes the ''-'hra'' suffix that do not indicate personage. The most common one known is: aiy'hra = today (lit. "visible persons") It's likely that such words originally had a meaning involving a number of persons and evolved into their current meaning over the course of time. No matter the circumstances involved in the usage of ''-'hra'', the apostrophe (and the corresponding glottal stop) is never dropped. ''-'Hra'' is never applied to verbs; ''-a'' is used instead for the same purpose. Verbs Kilrathi verbs are generally monosyllabic in form, though there are a few that are polysyllabic, such as: chodyapa = to feel cha'ak = to row leba = to tell Many of the same words that may be used as nouns in Kilrathi may be used as verbs, with an appropriate adjustment to their meanings. Whether or not a word is considered a noun or verb in that case is largely dependent upon the context applied and its position within the sentence. For example: ji'ji = "The fire burns" In this case, the same word has two different usages within the same sentence - the first ji as the noun "fire" and the second as the verb "to burn". The glottal stop denotes the second ji as a verb and not as an adjective; were it to be absent, it would read as: jiji = "burning fire" It's generally the inclusion of a noun or pronoun prior to the verb form of the word that indicates its intended usage as a verb. One should be careful to note instances where the subject is not explictly stated. For example: jitha maks akdaklanshikthrak = "Burn the land and boil the sea" In this case, the implied noun (rai or ri'-'' = "you") has been left off both parts of the statement - it would have the same meaning if it was phrased thusly: ''ri'jitha maks ri'akdaklanshikthrak = "Burn the land and boil the sea" Such instances of implied pronouns happen frequently in the Kilrathi language, particularly when dealing with imperative statements (which are utilized most frequently in Kilrathi culture), and particularly in instances where either the subject or object of the sentence may be referred to in the first or second person. As with nouns, Kilrathi verbs can take both pronoun prefixes and suffixes; both can exist simultaneously and it is conceivable for an entire sentence to be rendered as a single word, with the subject prefixed to the verb and the object applied as a suffix. For example: ni'dyagai = "I bear it" (nai = I/me/mine + dya = convey/ferry + gai = he/she/it) Note in this case, where the subject of the sentence is combined with the action, the possessive form of the prounoun is utilized. Again, the glottal stop indicates the point of seperation between subject and verb. The tense of a verb can be inferred from one of several markers: (subject)'(verb)k = past tense, active voice (subject)'ha (verb)k = past tense, passive voice ''(subject)'ha (verb) = present tense, passive voice (subject)'(auxiliary verb)(verb) = future tense, weak to moderation volition (subject) ha(verb) = future tense, strong volition Kilrathi verbs do not undergo any form of conjugation for grammatical voice. To indicate the use of passive voice, an auxiliary verb (most commonly ''-'ha'') is added as the final suffix of the subject, with the verb appearing immediately afterwards at the beginning of the next word. In these instances, the main verb is separated from the subject; it is not combined to form a single word. ri'h'asgathrakh du nai = "You will give honor to me." (ri = you + h'as = will/shall + gath = give/grant/allow + rakh = honor + du = towards + nai = "I/me/mine") Just give examples of each case, mention the object of a verb appears after the main verb itself. Also need to talk about negation Pronouns The Kilrathi language utilizes the following set of pronouns: There is no grammatical gender in Kilrathi; third-person singular pronouns may be translated based on the context of the sentence. Pronouns may be used as nouns for emphasis or for added clarity, but they are by no means required; they are commonly omitted in imperatives. Pronouns can be affixed to other words as a primary prefix, thus indicating ownership. For example: ek'lakh = our ancestors ri'rakh = your honor It is more common to see the prefix form utilized as the subject of the sentence than the separate possessive form; usually the separate possessive form occurs in archaic forms of the language. For example: Kir'kha n'ikh rakh k'har, Sharhi nar Hhallas = "I, Sharhi of Hhallas, swear to avenge my honor". This sentence also serves as an example of a missing pronoun ("I") in the subject of the sentence. The non-possessive form may be used as the subject of a sentence when the verb requires it; for example, as a means to distinguish between ha = must and ''-'ha'' = to be, as follows: Ni'jaq k'ropa = "I go crazy." (ni'-'' = I / me / my + jaq = come / springs from / become + ''k'-'' = absence / lack of / opposite + ''ropa = sane / sanity) Ni'ha jaq'k'ropa = "I am going crazy." (''-'ha'' = to be) Nai ha'jaq k'ropa = "I must go crazy." (ha = must / need) Nai ha'ha jaq'k'ropa = "I must be going crazy." Vowels may also be dropped from the possessive prefix form, as in: n'hakh ri'kahri = "destruction" (literally "I must taste your hearts") This is rare but valid. Finally, pronouns can be used as possessives in their own right: Mas'hanai = "That is mine." (mas = that + ''-'ha'' = to be + nai = I / me / my) It should be noted that it is never gramatically correct to use any form other than the general one when a pronoun is being applied as the object of a sentence. For example, the following is gramatically incorrect: Mas'han'ikh = "That is my." Numbers The use of base-eight mathematics is a well-known aspect of Kilrathi culture and society. Lately there has been an effort by a few groups of remaining Kilrathi to convert over to base-ten mathematics (as a means of better understanding Terran culture), but for the most part, Kilrathi are well content to continue to utilize a system that has worked extremely well for them for milennia. Kilrathi numbers are as follows: †Eight is rendered in some sources as "oc"; it is frequently mispronounced by Terrans as something close to "AWK" as a result (the proper pronunciation is closer to "OAK") For zero, Kilrathi use kn'-'' ("void / nothing") The series for the numbers nine through sixteen is unique, as follows: The unique forms ''nove, du and especially du'de are believed to be cultural in origin, with du'de functioning much as the number thirteen in Terran circles (i.e. as a number indicating bad fortune). Higher numbers are formed by adding base set of numbers as a prefix to the eight-number form. Thus: unideok = seventeen (one and two eights, 21) dedeok = eighteen (two and two eights, 22) treok = twenty-four (three eights, 30) kesok = thirty-two (four eights, 40) And so forth. Likewise, the same goes for the ordinal set - unidezo'ar = seventeenth dedezo'ar = eighteenth trezo'ar = twenty-fourth keszo'ar = thirty-second And so forth. Numbers of higher orders of magnitude use the following set of suffixes: †Again, it is not uncommon to see ok rendered as oc in many sources - in particular, octo is used heavily (as opposed to okto) in most Terran renderings. It is not known if the Kilrathi have larger number sets or not. Infinity is rendered simply as ga (all). Numbers are generally used as nouns, though they may also serve as a modifier to other nouns. When used as a modifier, they serve as a prefix - thus words like: zarmak = "sixty-fourth measure of distance" oktogramma = "thousand weight measures" Fractions in Kilrathi are generally spoken literally, with the cardinal form of the numerator spoken prior to the ordinal form of the denominator - thus the following examples: uni'dar = "one seconds" tre'k'ar = "three fourths" Where the number "one" is the numerator, the un is sometimes dropped, resulting in the following special forms: idar = "half" itar = "third" ikar = "quarter" Finally, for octal renderings (i.e. decimals), the word in is utilized in a manner similar to the word "point" in English; this is always done independently. For example: nove'okko in detreok = "seventy-three point twenty-six" (this translation accounts for the base-8/base-10 difference) Adding du ("again") as a suffix to a cardinal number gives the notion of repetitions: unidu = "once" tredu = "thrice" du'dedu = "twelve times" Du may be added to these repetition indicators to indicate its normal function as "again", though it is always a separated concept in that case: unidu'du = "once again" Basic mathematical functions involve common words found else where in the language: takh = equals (the result of a mathematical function) maks = plus (addition) talan = minus (subtraction) maga = times (multiplication) nishukatavi = seperate (division) Magamang indicates a mathematical power of an unspecified amount; when used, mang is replaced by the amount of the power that is applied: magade = square (power of two) magaidar = square root (power of one-half) magatre = cube (power of three) magaitar = cube root (power of one third) One should be careful not to confuse power terminonogy with regular multiplication: du maga tre takh h'ks = "Two times three equals six." du magatre takh ok = "Two to the third power is eight." Conjunctions The major conjunctions in the Kilrathi language are as follows: maks = and qu = but / either / or takh = like / as desh = if ta = for / because quv = nor / neither In general, conjunctions that join portions of sentences together appear seperately from any other word as with any other determiner. For example: Ek’rah skabak erg Thrak’Kilrah maks Rag'nith = "For the Glory of Kilrah, the Emperor, and the Empire." Lists of items joined by a conjunction are most commonly written as a single word, such as: irormakstha = "vegetable, animal and mineral" (ir = plant / blossom, or = animal / creature, maks = and / plus, tha = ground / land) Lists may also consist of separate words, though in general the last two ideas in the list are kept together unless they are arbitrarily long. Lists containing proper nouns are always left separate from one another. ir or maks tha = "vegetable, animal and mineral" ir ormakstha = "vegetable, animal and mineral" Narthrak'ha tre nar Qarg, nar Raghitagha maks nar Kiranka. = "Three Great Clans are nar Qarg, nar Raghitagha and nar Kiranka. It is gramatically correct whether the words are joined together as one or left separate from one another. For more on how conjunctions are utilized gramatically, see the section on Syntax below. Adjectives, Adverbials and Modifiers There are no articles (a, an, the) in Kilrathi *s = adjective/adverb marker (-ish, -ic, -y - ly). Also accusative case marker. *k = past tense marker future tense usually uses ha', h'as' or h'in' (must, will and may, espectively) as a prefix to a verb. (Prefix modifiers may be applied to "a" to become words in their own right). Words used to modify verbs and nouns almost always are tacked on to the end of the word or appear as the next word or set of words in the sentence (generally separation occurs when clarity is of importance). Exclamations These expressions stand as sentences in their own right: hagai = "yes" (declarative affirmative, literally "It must") va = "not/no" (declarative negative) ek'nis = "Let's go!" (literally "we go") nis'ekga = "Hurry up!" (literally "go much speed") h'asni = "I will" h'asnav = "I refuse" (literally "I will not") ki = "Good" (used as an expression of praise/satifaction) kithrak = "Excellent" (used as an expression of intense satifaction) aki = Well done! (endorsement of an achievement, a clipping of ri'aki = "You have done well"). hi'i = Hello (expression of greeting) walhi = Greetings. (literally "greeting of a thing that does a thing"; usually used when important information is forthcoming.) niski = "Farewell." (expression of departure; literally "good go") gatak = "Done!" (expression of completion of a task) aj'k = "Ready!" (a clipping of ni'ha krikajjk, an expression of a state of preparation) nayi = "So!" (expression of understanding, realization, invention or recognition - literally "I see"). Curse words phrases are also included as exclamatory expressions in their own right. Known Kilrathi examples are: har = "shit/feces" j'ak = "piss" (literally "yellow water" - also the source of the epithet jaka'in = "little pisser") vrax = "fuck" vraxar = "fuck me" (literally "fuck my penis"; ar is a shortened form of paktar = "penis") aviar = "cunt" (a clipped form of kilaviar, which literally translated as "female's first") lashki = "cunt" (a clipped form of lanshiki, which literally translates as "good hole") ar barayu'a = "cocksucker" (literally "penis sucker", with the shortened form of paktar once again) vraxa'nah = "mother fucker" vih'ks = "tits/breasts" (a clipped form of kilavih'ks, literally "female's six") yansh = "asshole" (a clipping of k'yulanshi, literally "hole of rump") sharvath = "don't eat my foe's cock" (literally "(penis) of enemy no kill for food") kass'richak = "quit jacking off" (literally "bloody + you + striking" = "you're striking yourself bloody") rha'rhi = "with your" (this one is still being researched; the object of the phrase is something foul enough that no Kilrathi has so far been willing to discuss it.") Annoyance and anger is commonly expressed via snarling, with the volume and length of the snarl proportional to the degree of annoyance. Names and Address The field of Kilrathi onomastics has turned out to be far more complex than what was originally thought by most Kilrathi socio-anthropologists working within the Confederation. This has been due to the fact that prior to the signing of the Treaty of Kobar-Yagar, most Kilrathi encountered by Terrankind utilized a "war name" (husiv). War names serve two main practical purposes in Kilrathi. First, they vastly shorten the length of time it takes to properly address an individual. Second and most importantly, it is meant to serve as a signal to a kil's adversaries: if you cause them trouble, the "clan" with which they have associated themselves will collectively serve retribution for it. A kil's social status could often be discerned by what they choose to utilize for their war name - a kil whose war name utilizes the name of a Great Clan is more important than one who utilizes the name of their home planet for instance, much more so than one who utilizes the name of their home town or region, and much, much, much more so than one who merely utilizes the name of their family (in most cases). Kilrathi war names utilize the following structure, familiar to most who have any experience with Kilrathi culture: GIVEN NAME (honorific) CLAN (for members of the Thrak'hra caste) GIVEN NAME CLAN (for low-ranking Thrak'hra and Kilrah'hra castes) Notable examples of users of this system include Ralgha nar Hhallas, Dakhath nar Sihkag, and Bakhtosh nar Kiranka. Noteworthy Kilrathi that did not use the nar honorific specifically include Murragh Cakg dai Nokthtak and Ragark lak Haka (it is of additional note that Ragark regularly utilized his family name instead of his given name, Ukar - further study on the cultural significance of this phenomenon is ongoing). Noteworthy Kilrathi that did not utilize any honorific include Najji Ragitagha and Dawx Jhorrad. The full Kilrathi naming system in actuality utilizes a method somewhat similar to the Arabic naming system on Earth. A series of eight honorifics may be applied to a Kilrathi's name: jaq = to come / spring from ko = job / profession lan = place / location hrai = family dai = house laq = master lak = bloodline nar = clan These honorifics have been placed in order from least to most honorable in Kilrathi society. They appear in a given order, always following this struture: NAME FAMILY dai HOUSE ko JOB-or-''laq'' MASTERY lan PLACE OF BIRTH jaq ILLEGITIMACY-or-''lak'' BLOODLINE nar CLAN Jaq is the least honorable of the Kilrathi honorifics, used to indicate someone of illegitimate birth (i.e. someone whose biological father was not their birth mother's lair-mate at the time of their birth). Though the lowest-ranked honorific, a few Kilrathi will still choose to utilize it; usually this is done when their biological father is someone of high rank or note. Commoners may utilize the jaq honorific in their war name. Known examples of users include Nerrag jaq Rhang. Ko is used to indicate a Kilrathi's current profession. Since this is based upon an individual Kil's current circumstances, it has the potential to change many times over the course of their lifetime. Commoners may utilize the ko honorific, and indeed they are apt to do so if they are some kind of position of authority (such as a merchant or prey animal herder). Known examples of users of this honorific include Naghrah ko Lannis, chief engineer aboard KIS Karga during that ship's final action as an Imperial warship over Baka Kar. Lan is used as a locative. Like ko, it has the potential to change over the course of a Kilrathi's life, though changes to it are not nearly as common. Most Kilrathi choose to use their place of birth for this honorific, and they may be as localized as they wish when they do so - lan covers locations as general as a planet or star system as well as locations as specific as an individual house or street name. Lan is the most commonly used war name honorific, so much so that it common to replace it with nar (though technically this is wildly incorrect). Lan is generally the highest level honorific a commoner may use in polite society under normal circumstances. Noted users of the lan honorific include Ghellen lan Dorv and Jorkad lan Mraal. Dai translates roughly as "of the house", and is generally the lowest ranked honorific used exclusively by Thrak'hra. The name applied here is usually the name of the eldest living male ancestor of the kil at the time of their birth. A few Kilrathi families (such as the family dai Nokthtak) choose to utilize the name of a famous or noteworthy ancestor, though that is more properly used with the lak honorific. Dai may also be used as the family name; this occurs when the kil has no living male ancestors at the time of their birth. Largka Cakg dai Nokhtak, his nephew Murragh, and Ukar dai Ragark lak Haka are all noted users of the dai honorific. A closely related honorific to dai is hrai, utilized only by retainers of Thrak'hra. Its use automatically signals that the kil using is is a retainer, and must be immediately followed by the war name of their leige lord. To utilize it under any other circumstances or with any other name is considered a death-worthy insult to not just the kil in question, but to the kil whose name is referenced. A retainer may have a war name or even a full name of their own that does not utilize the hrai honorific, but they are never addressed by it - only high ranking retainers such as cheedyachee may ever utilize a war name of their own, and then only at the dispensation of their master (Melek nar Kiranka, cheedyachee to the late Prince Thrakhath, was one such retainer). While technically the hrai and dai honorifics are equal to one another socially, the hrai honorific carries with it ever so slightly less honor, due to the fact that it automatically indicates a servant. Notable users of the hrai honorific include Kirha hrai Ralgha nar Hhallas. Laq is used specifically for those who are considered masters of their craft (e.g. laq qith'rak = "master of blades" - a close Terran equivalent would be the Japanese term '''kensei); in that sense it is a special form of ko. It takes special dispensation from the Emperor for any kil, regardless of their station, to acheive laq status, and once it has been obtained it may never be rescinded. It is considered demeaning and direspectful towards the Emperor for a kil, once they have obtained laq status, to utilize their ko honorific at all. For a Kilrah'hra to achieve laq status is virtually unheard of, though it can be done in theory. Lak denotes kinship to a particularly noteworthy ancestor along a direct bloodline (compare lak to lakh = ancestors). It is related to dai, with the exception that the ancestor referred to need not necessarily be alive at the time of the kil's birth. In general, lak honorifics show direct relation to a great hero, someone recognized throughout the Empire for the deeds they accomplished during their lifetime. This includes the blood descendants of all taguari, kabaki and tarkhani, and a few Kilrathi that committed zu'kara rather than allow themselves to suffer dishonor. There is a great deal of prestige tied into the lak honorific. As with laq, it is virtually unheard of for a Kilrah'hra to be granted the right to use lak in their surname. Lak automatically overrides dai; it is considered demeaning to utilize the dai honorific by itself when one has the right to use lak and insulting if another refers to them by the dai honorific. Notable users of the lak honorific include Ukar dai Ragark lak Haka. The final honorific is nar, which is used to show affiliation with one of the eight Great Clans of Kilrah. Nar is utilized by direct members of the Great Clan itself as well as by the Kilrah'hra who dwell upon the land that clan claims as its own. Kilrah'hra may never used the nar'' honorific as part of their war name; to do so is considered disrespectful and presumptuous, and will result in a knife in the gut to any commoner attempting to employ it. It does remain part of the full name of Kilrah'hra, mainly for official purposes such as tax collection and census counts. Thrak'hra who are not part of the leading house of the clan may use nar if allowed to do so by the clan's baron, while members of the lead house may use the honorific freely and with authority. Again, most Kilrathi will substitute nar for lan; so long as the name of a Great Clan does not follow it or as long as they have permission to do so, it is socially acceptable for them to do this. Virtually every Kilrathi known to the Confederation includes nar as part of their war name; only a relative few employ it with the name of a Great Clan. Kilrathi are reluctant to reveal their full names to outsiders and examples of their usage are rare in the few surviving records, but a few examples do exist. One noteworthy example is the full name of Prince Thrakhath (otherwise known as Thrakhath nar Kiranka): Kal Thrakhath B'Naj dai Joor'rad lan Kilrah lak Ragnith nar Kiranka The application of the honorifics is pretty clear in this case. Kal has the standard meaning of "lord", appropriate for any member of the Thrak'hra caste, let alone the Crown Prince. B'Naj indicates the family Redclaw, to which the royal house of Kilrah was known to belong. dai Joor'rad, the house of Joor'rad, is a direct reference to Thrakhath's grandfather, the late Kilrathi Emperor. lan Kilrah indicates that Thrakhath was born on Kilrah; this could just as easily have been lan Daithrak'Ragnith to indicate his birth in the Imperial Palace, but the reminder of his royal heritage comes with the next honorific, lak Ragnith (from the bloodline of the Emperors) - an honorific employed by any rightful member of the Imperial House. And as the lead house of the Kiranka clan, Thrakhath has a natural right to utilize his clan honorific, nar Kiranka. Another one found in the records is that of Ralgha nar Hhallas: Kal Ralgha Cakg ko Shintahr lan Hhallas nar Kiranka One of the surprises found in the Lord Ralgha's full name was the presence of the family name Cakg, suggesting he was of close relation to Murragh dai Nohtahk; the absence of the house name is not understood at this time. ko Shintahr of course refers to his position as Commanding Officer of KIS Ras Nik'hra at the time this entry was recorded. lan Hhallas indicates his homeworld of Hhallas, and nar Kiranka is the clan to which he belonged. It should be noted that at least one member of the Kilrathi translation team working with the CCCR has taken an interest in Terran onomastics and toponomics, and has been producing Kilrathi full name versions of noteworty Terrans. For example: K'sivki dai Dahargpaka laq lede'a lan Brajakh Lanshik lak Darakha nar Tha'hrork = Geoffrey Chaucer Nharga dai Brajakh Lanshik ko Salerag'nitha laq Lethraka lan Thavargi nar Bhaki'Lani erg Tharag'nithjhak = Abraham Lincoln Knav'skabak Aknis dai Dara'irga laq Ledeleshki'a lan Akaiy nar Bhaki'lani erg Tharag'nithjhak = Bob Dylan Kal Ragnithorguk dai Aiyek ko Ledelshki'a lan Brajakh Lanshik nar Tha'Hrork = Sir Arthur Sullivan As is true in Terran cultures, Kilrathi names have some underlying meaning, though as previously mentioned in this document, many Kilrathi personal names are largely cultural in origin and their exact meaning is not well understood as yet. That said, a few names can be readily translated, such as: Dakhath = death stroke (lit. "killing blow for food") Thrakhath = ultimate kill (lit. "greatest kill for food") Ralgha = big destroyer Kirha = be young Ukar = first prey Najji = fire claw For everyday address, Kilrathi utilize four main terms: lin (for addressing a Kilrah'hra younger than one's self), laq (for addressing a Kilrah'hra older than one's self), kir (for junior Thrak'hra) and kal (for senior Thrak'hra). It is not uncommon to tack on ''-av'' to a term if the addressee is female, though this is not necessary due to gender neutrality of the language (note that while not adding ''-av'' when addressing a female will cause no difficulty, adding it when the addressee is male can be fatal). If one is uncertain of their standing in relation to another Kilrathi, the use of kal is strongly advised; addressing an inferior with a title above their station will likely just result in embarassment. Addressing a superior with a title below their station, as in most historical Terran civilizations, is considered a major insult. As in Terran cultures, it is common to see the addition of the ni'-'' possesive prefix ("my") when addressing a superior: ''Jaq lanma, laq. = "Come here, master." Hagai, ni'kir. = "Yes, my young (lord)" For one's fellows, hraki is commonly used. It is proper to address a Kilrathi by their proper name only when addressing an inferior, a close friend or members of one's family. Syntax Kilrathi syntax is a bit of a confusing subject, largely due to the evolution of the language over time. *Early Kilrathi utilized a system of OBJECT-VERB-SUBJECT. Modifiers to any of the main portions of a sentence occur after the word they are modifying. In the old system, words were not often joined together. *More modern Kilrathi utilizes a system of SUBJECT-VERB-OBJECT, much like most modern Terran languages. Joining of portions of sentences is much more common, and the ability to make a complete sentence out of a single word exists. *In both versions, proper noun subjects appear at the end of the sentence. Modifiers to proper noun subjects appear prior to the subject, opposite of what is normal. Lexicon Tables Kilrathi to English English to Kilrathi Practical Kilrathi Maxims and Phrases '''His blood flows well / His blood flows thick Gar'ka akniski / Gar'ka aknisrg *This is a common response when asked about another Kilrathi's close friend. May your talons be wet, and if fated not to return, may praise be sung in thy name H'in ri'naj'hafka, maks desh ri'nakh'ha va jaqdu, h'in agon'gathleshki du ni'hus. *This is a more traditional and formal statement of farewell My blood warms at the sight of thee Ni'kakh du r'ikh aiy. *This is a formal greeting Steel against iron is not a testing Qith dux qithin'ha va k'tothmo. Judge not thy enemy by the strength of his arm but rather by the cunning of his brain. Jaqwinhalav ri'sha ras gar'alrg qu ras gar'palaqag. No attack plan ever survives first contact with the enemy. Va kr'ajj vug'esh alibar ra sha'hra. Victory should not be counted until the blood of the pray is in one's mouth K'toth hav'mak eshchur xa'ha du lanagkh uni'i. Always reinforce triumph, learn to back away from defeat. Eshga ari k'toth, ig nistalan aqtoth. "Why have you broken radio silence"? Krajksh nai variksh h'hassrai? "Why do you wish the demise of your people"? Ja'lra rash'nakh h'rai? *This is used in the context of asking "Why are you helping the enemy"? "Stay where you are!!" Krakh drish’kai rai h’ra *This one literally translates as "Dishonorably freeze (your) bloods, you shit persons!!" For the glory of Kilrah, the Emperor and the Empire!! Ek'rah skabak erg Thrak'Kilrah maks Rag'nith!! Beyond the eyes of my enemy, I shall prepare for the day of his destruction. H'as aiy'hra n'hakh ri'kahri krikajj, nai korekh sha'yi. Those not of the blood must have their blood spilt. Va ka garga ka naru ha garga. A Sample of Phrases of Terran Origin Four thousand throats may be cut in one night by a running man with a knife. Yai'i h'p'okto'h'ks'okko'kesok h'in'hashu du kn'esh uni ras kilamekh ra qith'rak. Only a fool fights in a burning house. Anruni su'hra tu da daiji. Revenge is a dish that is best served cold. K'har'ha wukjik mas gathkshgaga. *A similar Kilrathi saying is K'har'ha ukshmaksolchur = "Revenge is cold and rotted prey". You cannot loosen a man's tongue with weak drink. Rai h'inav k'dymga'qith trathkhkil ra akgi. Today is a good day to die. Aiy'hra'ha eshkigu. *This may also be translated as "Today is a good day to kill". Taunts Alien scum! Husutakav'hra!! Beg for mercy! Rathk'rakh ta har!! Bugs Bunny screws his mother!! (more literally, this is Shka'i Nak'tara'elalma'ga vrax gar'nah!!) ' ''Bugs Bunny vrax gar'nah!! '''Claw against claw, you are no match for me! Najduxnaj, ri'takhav ta nai!! The Confed ape dares to attack?! Ukarh'Bhakil dyafa kra?!?! Crawling worm! I am your better! Ortha'inamal'kor!! Ni'ha ri'gaga!! Darkness awaits you! Kn'a drishta rai!! Death to all humans! Gu du ga Terran'hra!! Die, you furless freak! Gu, rai huk'rok'ya!! Disintegration would be too good for you! Jaqutavi h'ask'ha kigaga ta rai!! Do not make this too easy for me, ape!! Da'av ma varga ta nai, ukarh!! Do you fear death human? Rai k'falgu, Terran'hra?! Feel my claws, enemy! Chodyapa ni'naji, sha'hra!! Fight, furless freak! Tu, huk'rok'ya!! Human, your life is at an end!! Terran'hra, ri'vuha du gu!! I can smell your fear! Ni'ol ri'k'fa! I shall eat your heart and spit it out, Terran!! Ni'h'asuk ri'kahr maks aqlanagkhgar, Terran'hra!!! I shall taste your heart and spit it out, Terran!! Ni'h'asahk ri'kahr maks aqlanagkhgar, Terran'hra!!! I shall eat your heart and shit it out, Terran!! Ni'h'asuk ri'kahr maks hargar, Terran'hra!!! I shall mount your bones in my hall!! Ni'h'aslan ri'yo'I ni'da!! I shall feast upon your entrails! Ni'h'asukthrak ri'dalhar!! I shall feast upon your offspring!! Ni'h'asukthrak ri'gari!! I shall smash your skull! Ni'h'aspanoth ri'yuyothrak!! I shall tear you apart! Ni'h'asku dukutav!! I smell your fear! Ni'ol ri'k'fa!! I tire of your pathetic race! Ni'dauls erg ri'hrak'rakh!! I will clean my claws on your corpse!! Ni'h'askut ni'naji ri'chokut'k'vu!! I will feast on your entrails!! Ni'h'asukthrak ri'dalhar!! I will kill you!! Ni'h'asgurai!! I will kill you, ape! Ni'h'asgurai, ukarh!! I will kill you, human! Ni'h'asgurai, Terran'hra!! I will lick your blood from my claws!! Ni'h'asdaktrathkh ri'ka ni'naji!! I will see your blood boil! Ni'h'asaiy ri'ka akdak!! I will toy with my prey! Ni'h'asdyaleki ra ni'uk!! Is this the best the apes can offer? Ma'hathrak mas ukarh'gath?!?! Kill him quickly!! Gueksgar!! My claws are sharper than yours!! Ni'naji kuvarga rai!! No humans will survive!! Va Terran'hra h'asvu!! Not much of a challenge are you?!?! Vaga erg k'tothmo, ri'ha?!?! Now I shall have blood! Ni'h'asdyaka eshma!! Now we claim blood in the name of Sivar! Ek'bhaka eshma Sivarhus!! Now you will die!! Ri'h'asgu eshma!! Pathetic wretch! K'rakh'hrak'rakh!! Show your claws, pathetic creature! K'haf ri'naji, ork'rakh!! Taste death, fool! Akgu, su'hra!! Time to die, human!! Eshgu, Terran'hra!! Tremble, hairless ones! Korak'fa, k'yan'hra!! We shall destroy Terra!! Ek'h'as r'a nak'tara!!! We shall never be conquered! Ek'h'asrath vesh!! We shall show no mercy!! Ek'h'as d'aiy harav!! What fun to watch Terrans implode in space!! Gar'leki'aiy Terran'hra dakekrgav kn'ga!!! You are foolish to attack the Kilrathi!! Ri'ha su'hras kr'Kilrathi!!! You are mine! Ri'hanai!! You are no match for me! Ri'takhavnai!! You are powerless, prey! Ri'ha k'rg, uk!! You cannot defeat the Drakhai!! Ri'h'inav k'toth Drakhai!! You fight like a stillborn kitten!! Ri'tu takh kirkilin k'vudujaq!! You fight no better than newborn cubs! Ri'tu vagara gari'vujaq!! You fly like the ape that you are!! Ri'do takh ukarh mas ri'ha!! You pathetic descendant of monkeys!! Jaq ukarhini'k'rakh !!! You shall be scattered to the solar winds!! Ri'h'asnishukutav du dakbhu!! You will die, foul creature! Ri'h'asgu, orut!!! You will not survive this battle, ape scum!! Ri'h'asvu'av ma tra, husu'ukarh!!! You will not survive this fight!! Ri'h'asvu'av ma tu!! Your blood shall be spilled into the void!! Ri'ka h'as'ha naru du kna!! Your death will be too easy!! Ri'gu h'as'ha varga!! Your destruction will be a pleasure! Rai n'hakh ri'kahri h'as'ha leki!! Your doom is upon you! Ri'nakh du rai!! Oaths Oath of Service Kir'kha Ko My heart does not know fear, for I am a servant to Sivar. Ni’kahr k’ik k’fa, ta ni’ha ko'a Sivari. My claws do not know shame, for I am a warrior of Kilrah. Ni’naji k’ik k’rakh, ta ni’ha Kilrahsiva. My Clan shall not be disgraced, for I service my hrai and lord. Ni’nar h’asavha k’rakh, ta ni'ko ras ni'hraimakskal. With my tongue I offer fealty. Ra ni’trathkh ni’gath laga. With my claws I unsheathe victory. Ra ni’naji nai k'haf k'toth. With my mane bowed I lie down. Ra ni'yaga kork ni'ul. And offer up my life for honor. Maks gath ni'vu ta rakh. The Warrior's Vow Kir'kha siva Permit me to pledge you my service. Gathnai kir'kharai ni'ko. I offer you my claws and teeth, to rend your foes. Ni'gathrai ni'najimaksnagi, ku ri'sha'i. I offer you my mind and spirit, to do your bidding. Ni'gathrai ni'pamaksza, ri'rashal. I offer you my eyes and ears, to seek out your foes. Ni'gathrai ni'yi'imakselal, amstra ri'sha'i. And I offer you my throat, to slash, should ever I be found unworthy. Maks ni'gathrai ni'yai, dakekh, desh ni'g'eshis k'rashs. The Lord's Favorable Response For the Warrior's Vow Leru kal ta kir'kha siva I accept your pledge of service, Ni'bhaki ri'kir'khako, Your claws and teeth, Ri'najimaksnagi, Your mind and spirit, Ri'pamaksza, Your eyes and ears. Ri'yi'imakselal. May I never require to accept your throat, as long as you serve my hrai. H'in nai havesh bhaki ri'yai, deshas ri'ko ta ni'hrai. Codices (Unknown): Honor shall flow to the Warrior who it true, to his Hrai, to his comrades, to his people, and to himself, for only the true warrior shall know the gods hereafter. Rakh h'asaknis du Sivahe, gar'hrai, gar'hraki, gar'hra, maks gar, ta anruni Sivahe h'asik kutgaga'hra vujhak. I 2:28:10: There is no such thing as a battle without honor, though it is possible to encounter an honorless foe. Hu'ha vahu takh tr'k'rakh, ja'lg'esh gar'h'in'hal tu shi'k'rakh. I 4:22:10: No Warrior should fear honest labor, as no Warrior should shirk onerous duty. Vasiva hak'fa kohe, takh Vasiva ha amgaq korakhrg. I 6:34:14: Of all the weapons of the Warrior, it is the mind that elevates mere fighting to glorious Victory. Erg ga'ranisiva, gar'hapa mas agon tuvarg du k'tothskabak. I 10:14:64: Honor the heroic dead, for their deeds are worthy of remembrance. Agon k'vurakh, ta gar'korashs erg sa. I 10:21:18: The brave Warrior is not without fear. He is a friend of his fear, embracing it, intimate with it, but never allowing it to overcome him. Sivafa va'ha r'av k'fa. Gar'hahraki erg gar'k'fa, alibagar, hrasragar, qu vagathgar du rathgar. I: 12:16:03: Vigilance is the Warrior’s salvation; inattention the Warrior’s most dangerous foe. Dyapaiy vuzsiva; k'dyapa shagthraksiva. II 3:18:12: Fortunate is the Warrior who meets Death in Battle; no true Warrior should die in bed with his claws sheathed. ' ''Siva'mos ja'lhra isgu tr'a; vasivahe hagu wul ra najihaf. '''II 4:18:21: Among the pillars of victory, the first and greatest is the art of the unexpected, for it is by surprise that the Warrior achieves domination on the field of battle. Erg k'tothari, armaksthrak'ha ikbhakil k'rathrg, ta gar'ha ras k'rathrg mas siva bhagatakrath du tr'thano. III 3:18:10: Rejoice in the victory today, but prepare for the conflict of tomorrow, for life is an eternal struggle. Agon k'tothaiy'hra, qu aj ta tr'aiy'hrajhak, ta vu'ha tr'ragaesga. III 7:12:05: Honor is a thing to be cherished, but no true Warrior will place his honor above his duty. Rakh'hahu br'kdyapak, qu vasivahe h'aslan gar'rakh gara gar'korakh. III 18:10:05: Victory must inevitably go to the Warrior whose desire for conquest is greater than his fear of death. K'toth hanis'siva r'avrath ja'lra'i rathrash gara gar'k'fagu. IV 16:12:21: There is no dishonor in caution, so long as the careful Warrior avoids the pitfalls of cowardice. Rodyapa va k'rakh, desh sivadyapa amgaq aggik'fa. IV 2:17:06: The true Warrior perseveres against any and all obstacles, and gains the greater glory for his efforts. Sivahe'asoth dux g'maksga k'tothmoli, maks bhaskabakga ta gar'ko. IV 4:18:31: Glory is the outward measure of the Warrior’s worth, but the knowledge of a duty fulfilled is the one true inward measure. Skabak ma'aiy dyarashroSiva, qu korakhgatak'ik'ha ma'unihe ma'hara. IV 18:35:03: Better Death with claws extended than Life without honor. Guranaj'i'k'haf gara vur'avrakh. V (Chapter unknown):Honor shall flow to the Warrior who does his duty, for his Clan shall earn glory by his deeds. Honor shall flow to the Warrior who meets death in battle, for his name shall be remembered. Honor shall flow to the Warrior who strikes down his foe, for he shall win victory for his people. Rakh h'asaknis du Siva ja'lhra gar'korakha, ta gar'nar h'asbhaskabak ras gar'ko. Rakh h'asaknis du Siva ja'lhra isgu tr'a, ta gar'hus h'as'ha sa. Rakh h'asaknis du Siva ja'lhra gu gar'sha, ta gar'bhak'toth ta gar'hra. V 2:18:38: Brave comrades are the Warrior’s most cherished gift. Hraki'ifa'ha hugath'br'kdyapagaga siva. V 10:23:05: Fang and claw, sharp eyes and alert ears and the nose of a hunter, these are the tools of the Ideal Warrior, but they are as nothing without the spirit and heart of a fighter. Naggamaksnaj, dyapa yi'imakselali maks bakhye, mai'ha sivathrakvi'i, qu gar'ha k'g'hu k'ra krantzamakskarh. VI 16:33:17: There is no treachery greater than the betrayal of comrade against comrade. Hu'ha va k'la gara k'la hrakimakshraki. VII 4:17:09: Consider the story of Karga the Hero, which tells of the rewards of honor and duty. Consider the story of Vorghath the Hunter, and reflect on the perils of complacence. Sa'lek'kor Karga Tarkhan, mas le hugath rakhmakskorakh. Sa'lek'lor Vorghath Bahka, maks sa k'dyapa'ag. VII 12:16:07: The true leader offers his Warriors in sacrifice only when there is no alternative; the true Warrior offers himself in sacrifice in the knowledge that only thus will the battle be won. ' ''Arhe'gath gar'siva'i anruni ja'lesh hu'ha k'winhal; Sivahe'gath gar'vu ikmas anruni madi h'ask'toth'ha. '''IX 21:05:10: Never permit your enemy to learn your advantages, unless doing so can cause him to become fearful so that he stumbles during the chase. Veshgath ri'shi ig ri'k'tothsa'ki'i, qu ma'al h'indagar jaq k'fa mas gar'amv'ek deshasnisgho. X (Chapter Unknown): Even in Death there can be Victory. Takh gu k'toth h'in'ha. X 17:14:33: The gods expect that every kil shall perform his duty. Kutgaga'hra rathrg mas ga'kil h'asa gar'korakh. Fables Lek'kor Karga Tarkhan (The Tale of Karga the Hero) The story is told of Xag’s mightiest general, Karga of the Ki’ra hrai, who was sent to conquer the stronghold of Dr’qtan. Lek'kor leba erg Khantahrargthrak Xagi, Karga hrai Ki'ra, ja'lhra snak rath brajakh Dr'qtan. Victory was assured from the moment they stormed its battlements. K'toth grik aqesh gar'tugaga gar'brawi. A lone warrior came forth from Dr’qtan and personally challenged Karga to a duel. Siva uni jaqaqDr'qtan maks k'tothmok'hras Karga turakh. The warriors of Xag’s armies laughed and mocked the young warrior, but Karga agreed. Siva'i'anrasiv Xagi leki'hamaksdaleki kirsiva, qu Karga bhakik. After a short but vicious battle, Karga emerged victorious, and Dr’qtan was burned as a warning to others who attempted to resist. Jha tr'eshinquso, Karga jaqaiy k'toth, maks Dr'qtan jikthrak takh rodyapa takav'hra ja'lhra h'inkra. And so did Karga accrue the greater glory, for in allowing the young warrior to fight and die for his home, he was able to preserve the younger warrior’s honor, and the preservation of the honor of any so brave is the most honorable act any warrior can perform. Maks Karga'a'k bha skabakga, ta ras gathkirsiva kramaksgu ta gar'dai, gar'gathdra rakh kirgasiva'i, maks drarakh erg g'faga'ha korakhthrakgaga g'siva h'inko. Lek'kor Vorghath Bakha (The Tale of Vorghath the Hunter) The story is told of Vorghath the Hunter, from the days when mighty Barons ruled vast expanses, before the Empire. Lek'kor leba erg Vorghath Bakha, aq esh ja'lesh thrak'hrarg dyatha mangaga, eshchur eshRag'nith. As he set out upon the hunt, he espied a rugalga, and began to stalk it. Takh gar'nis du bak, gar'is rugalga maks nistragar. However, the rugalga, for its slow wit, was very quick, and ran across the plains. Qu rugalga, ta gar'pav'ek, ekhgagak maks amekh du thavargi. Vorghath saw no need to hurry, as he was certain that he could catch the beast at any time, and was enjoying the stalk. Vorghath'aiyk hav'ek'ha, takh gar'grik mas gar'h'inbha'or gu g'esh, maks barustra. As the day grew long, Vorghath found himself beyond the hunting plains, in the rocky areas where the rugalga dwelt. Takh aiy'hra jaqma'ga, Vorghath'is gar'hra korekh thavargibak, du lanoths ja'lan rugalga da gar'vu. Tiring of the hunt, Vorghath lunged at his prey. Duls erg bak, Vorghath'jak du gar'uk. As he did so, from the rocks, dozens of rugalga attacked Vorghath, their blunted teeth and hooves tearing into him, rending his flesh from the bone. Takh gar'ak, aq othi, rugalga oki'ga kr'kVorghath, gar nagk'kuvargmakspakoth ku'gar, ku gar'choaqyo. And so does the tale of Vorghath stand as a warning to those who become complacent while upon the hunt. Maks lek'kor'Vorghath'al orc takh lerodyapa ta mai'hra ja'lhra jaq k'dyapa deshas bak. Prophecies EIGHTH AND NINTH PROPHECIES OF THE PRIESTESS KT'LAN LE'IKGAJHA'I ZO'ARMAKSVAR KT'LAN ko KUTGA'HRA. EIGHTH PROPHECY LE'IKGAJHA ZO'AR There shall come a time when our faith will be tested. Esh h'asjaq ja'lesh ek'la h'as'ha k'tothmok. When many will be misled by the selfish motives of a ruling Clan. Ja'lesh kili'ga h'as'ha ahrxidi ras narag'nith konishrax. The Great Warrior, who has the heart of a Kilrathi, but is not Kilrathi born comes to deliver justice to the wicked. Sivathrak, ja'lhra dya kahr quva vuja'Kilrathi, jaq dyakuthe'ha du xi'hra. Our people will be cleansed by the fire that burns in the heart of Kilrah herself and many will pay the price for the few. Ek'hra h'as'ha kutk ras jiji'al kahrKilrah gar'hra maks kili'ga h'asgathrashro ras kili'in. NINTH PROPHECY LE'IKGAJHA VAR As our hearts are consumed in sacrifice, a sound of thunder will herald the beginning of a new age. Takh ek'kahrjik gaththrak, elekarhga h'as da'ik niskiresh. Our Great Loss will bring with it dark enemies of our clan who will seek to feast on our bones and will, like the savage wind, spread to the four corners of the sky and all that is. Ek'toththrak h'asdya rasgar sha'hrakar ek'nar ja'lhra h'asamstra ukthrak du ek'yo'i maks h'as, takh niskarh k'dyak, haf du yintakhlan'karh kes maks gamas'ha. But yet in this suffering, we must be strong, for Sivar will send another messenger who shall bring redemption to our race and fill us with the Warriors Spirit and reunite us as a people. Qu h'inis ma'chodyapakalk, kai ha'arg, ta Sivar h'asna dyale'a'uniga ja'lhra h'asdyavuz du ek'hra maks dakutkai ras Zaga, maks pukai takh hra. THE PROPHECY OF SIVAR (ALSO KNOWN AS THE PROPHECY OF THE KN'THRAK), FROM THE TOME OF SIVAR LE'IKGAJHA SIVAR aq KOCHIRTHI HU'IKGAGA KUTGAGA SIVAR There shall come a time when one who has the Heart of a Kilrathi, but is not Kilrathi born, shall rain cleansing fire down upon us. Esh h'asjaq ja'lesh k'ik'hra, dya kahr quva vuja'Kilrathi, h'as jigakut du kai. And then the Kn’thrak, a time of great darkness, shall embrace us. Maks KN'THRAK, eshkarga, h'asalibakai. Death itself shall pour forth, obscuring the stars in a veil of darkness. Gu'gar h'asnaru'aiy, hafbhu huyinhaf. Theirs is the claw that tears flesh from bone. Gar'dyanaj maku choaqyo. Theirs is the poisoned fang. Gar'dyanaggalerx. Their number shall render the universe barren and crush the breath from our Clans. Gar'mang h'asda kut'thrakshi maks panoth daks aq ek'nari. We shall be bathed in our own blood and rotted flesh shall be our fare. Ek'h'ashafahk ek'ka maks r'cholchur h'as'ha ukmaksahk. With a deafening thunder shall the dark age begin! Ra lekarhga k'elthrak h'asnis eshkar!!